Creating and Using Creating and Using PodcastsPodcasts

Stanford University Continuing Studies WSP 124Stanford University Continuing Studies WSP 124

Mark Branommarkb@stanford.eduhttp://www.stanford.edu/people/markb/650.725.1717

Course Web Site (with resources): http://www.stanford.edu/group/csp/wsp124/

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Course Description

• Podcasting has become the most cost-effective and efficient way to distribute digital audio and video files via the Web. By subscribing to podcasts, listeners and viewers can consume valuable information whenever they need to, not just whenever a broadcaster decides to present it.

• In this hands-on workshop, you will learn the skills needed to develop, create, and publish engaging podcasts. Topics include: how to find and subscribe to podcasts, how to use software (e.g., Audacity) to create sound files for podcasts on the computer, how to plan and record your podcasts, how to edit, produce and publish them, and more. By the end of the course, students will know how to create and publish their podcasts from start to finish.

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Administrivia

• You need:– Access to a computer– Familiarity with computer basics– Access to the internet (many free ISPs exist)– A tripod account (we’ll do it in class)– Access to the following tools:

• A text editor (TextEdit for Macs; Notepad for Windows)• A web browser (Firefox / Internet Explorer)• Audacity• A microphone

• How to reach me:– markb@stanford.edu– 650-725-1717

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Course Agenda

• Obtaining, Using, Planning for Podcasts• Recording the Audio Podcast• Editing the Podcast• Creating the XML (RSS) feed, Setting Up a Blog, and

Publishing the Podcast!• Wrap-up and editing, Video Podcasts

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Introduction

What Is a Podcast? “Podcasting is the method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio programs or music videos, over the Internet using either the RSS or Atom syndication formats, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers.” (wikipedia.org)

Media File + Advertising via RSS = Podcast

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Why Use and/or Create Podcasts?

• For Companies, Universities, or Organizations:Podcasts can deliver information about a department or group internally (to just the department), to the organization as a whole, or to the entire world. Podcasts can be used for newsworthy events in the department, for highlighting special events and/or people in the department, and for presenting and disseminating other information to the desired audience in an engaging manner.

• For Teachers and Other Instructors (or staff supporting them):Podcasts can deliver educational content for listening or viewing on a computer and/or iPod, freeing learning from constraints of the physical classroom. Content could be anything from curriculum-related presentations to professional development ideas and used to disseminate best practices between other faculty. Instructors can easily create a podcast of daily assignments and class lectures from class, and publish it for all of their students.

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Why Use and/or Create Podcasts?

• For Individuals:Podcasts allow you to express yourself in a less-formal, more friendly manner than the written word allows. When communicating via the written word (sending email, snail mail, blogging, creating web pages, or writing books), you are limited by the medium – although you can indicate emphasis by bolding or italicizing, it’s difficult to indicate such things as sarcasm, emotion, or tone. Since podcasting involves the spoken word, and since speech is a less formal method of expression, you can convey such emotional tones more effectively.

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Locating and Obtaining Podcasts

• Podcast search engines allow you to find podcasts:•www.apple.com/itunes/

•www.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/On_the_Web/Podcasts/Directories/

•www.podscope.com/

•getapodcast.com/

•podcast.net/

•podcastdirectory.com/

•www.allpodcasts.com/

• Podcatcher software automatically downloads podcasts to your computer and/or iPod or other media device:•www.apple.com/itunes/

•juicereciever.sourceforge.net/

•www.podcastingnews.com/topics/Podcast_Software.html

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In-class Exercise: Using Juice

1. Download, install, and run Juice Receiver:http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/

2. Subscribe to a podcast, such as NPR’s Car Talk:1. Go to http://www.npr.org/podcasts/2. Click By Title, then C.3. Click NPR: Car Talk.4. In the POD section, copy the URL.5. Return to Juice.6. In the Subscriptions tab, click the plus sign.7. In the URL field, paste the link from step 4.8. Click Save.9. Click the Check for New Podcasts button.10. Double-click the podcast to listen.

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In-class Exercise: Using iTunes

1. Open iTunes.

2. In the Store section, click iTunes Store.

3. In the iTunes STORE section, click Podcasts.

4. Click Today’s Top Podcast.

5. Click Subscribe to subscribe to the podcast.

6. To listen to the podcast, in the Library, click Podcasts. Then, double-click the podcast.

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Creating a Podcast

Planning a Podcast1) Research your topic.2) Write out what you plan to say.3) Block out the segments of your podcast.

a) Typical 60-minute radio show:1. Introduction and “hook” (a snapshot of what is covered and why

listeners would want to listen)2. Segment 13. Break4. Segment 25. Break6. Segment 37. Break8. Final points and summary of podcast

b) Typical 10-minute podcast:1. Introduction and “hook”2. Main segment3. Summary of segment4. Final points

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Recording and Editing Podcasts

To record a podcast, you’ll need:1. A computer (any modern computer will do – Mac,

Windows, Linux)2. A microphone (a good microphone will cost around

$100)http://radio.about.com/od/podcastin1/a/blcomparemikes.htm

3. Software to record and edit the podcast. For audio podcasts, Audacity is a good choice. For video podcasts, Windows Movie Maker (Windows) and iMovie (Mac) are good choices.

4. Storage for the audio file you create (a web server such as Tripod, a free podcasting service such as Podshow or Podbean, etc.)

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Software: Audio

Audio Software – Free tools

• Audacity (Mac/Windows): http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

• GarageBand (Mac only – it’s part of iLife, and is free with new Macs): http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/

– Other tools ($35 - $500)

• Audition (Windows only): http://www.adobe.com/products/audition/

• Soundbooth (Mac/Windows): http://www.adobe.com/products/soundbooth/

• SoundEdit Pro (Windows only): http://www.rmbsoft.com/sep.asp

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Software: Video

Video Software

– iMovie (Macintosh only): http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/

– Windows Movie Maker (Windows only): http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/create/

– MovieWorks (Mac/Windows): http://www.movieworks.com/

– Quicktime (Mac/Windows): http://www.quicktime.com/

– Director (Mac/Windows): http://www.adobe.com/products/director/

– WindowsMedia: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmedia/

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In-class Exercise: Mapping Out a Podcast

1. Pair up with the person sitting next to you.2. Map out a one-minute podcast with your neighbor. Don’t

record it (we’ll do that later); just plan what you will say.a. Introduce yourself

“Hello, and welcome to the [YourName] show. I’m your host, [YourName]. Today I’ll be interviewing [NeighborName].”

b. Interview the person sitting next to you1) “So, [NeighborName], please tell the listeners a little about yourself.”2) “I see, and where do you live?”3) “What exciting things are going on in the neighborhood?”4) “Anything else you would like to add?”

c. Closing remarks“Well, [NeighborName], it looks like we’ve come to the end of time for the show. Thank you so much for allowing our audience to learn a little more about you and your neighborhood.

This is [YourName], and you’ve been listening to the [YourName] Show, brought to you by Stanford University and the Continuing Studies department. Until next time, thanks for listening.”

d. Then, you will switch roles with your neighbor and practice again.

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Obtaining Audacity

• Audacity is a free, open source software for recording and editing sounds in Linux, Mac OS X, and other operating systems, and is great for creating audio podcasts.

• About Audacity:http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

• Downloading Audacity (don’t forget to download the LAME mp3 encoder, too):http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/

• Audacity documentation:http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/documentation

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In-class Exercise:Record a Podcast

Using Audacity, record the interviews you and your neighbor worked on in the Mapping Out A Podcast exercise. One interview should be recorded on your computer, the other on your neighbor’s.

To record:1)Launch Audacity.2)Click the Record button. 3)Start talking! 4)When finished with the first interview, click the Stop

button.5)Save your sound file in the Audacity Project format

(.aup) on the desktop (using the filename yournameinterview.aup).

6)Repeat steps 1-5 to record the second interview on your neighbor’s computer.

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Minor Editing Using Audacity

• After you record a podcast, you will need to edit the sound file before publishing it. The handout Sound Editing with Audacity – Basic Instructions, which we will use in class, was developed by Stanford’s Center for Teaching and Learning. It details the basic steps for editing sound files using Audacity, and is available at:http://ctl.stanford.edu/Podcasting/audacity.pdf

• In-class Exercise: Minor Editing of the Podcast1) In Audacity, listen to the podcast.2) Remove any large pauses, and alter the sound using one

or more of the Effects, if appropriate.3) Export (save) the interview as an MP3 file to the desktop

(using the filename interview.mp3).

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Establishing a Tripod Account — Step 1

• You’ll need a web server to host your podcast once it is finished. Tripod is a free web hosting service that we’ll use in class.

• To establish a Tripod account, go to http://www.tripod.com/ and click Start Now!

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Establishing a Tripod Account — Step 2: Choose the free version

Under Tripod Free, click Sign Up

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Establishing a Tripod Account — Step 3

• Select a member name and password• Personalize your account with your information (if you feel

uncomfortable giving out personal information, use fake information)– Required fields are:

• Title, First Name, Last Name, Zip Code, Email address, Birth Year, Birth Month, and Birth Day

• Choose the type of ads you wish to appear on your site• Uncheck the Tripod & Terra Lycos Network Offers you don’t

want• Enter the confirmation code• Press the “I Agree” button

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Establishing a Tripod Account — Step 4

Unless you want to take advantage of the “special offers”, scroll down and click “No Thanks”.

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Establishing a Tripod Account — Step 5

Click “I’m an experienced site builder and want to upload my files – take me to the File Manager”, then click “Next”.

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If all has gone well…

You should see the following screen. You may now quit Internet Explorer. Be sure to keep track of your Tripod username and password!

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Obtaining Music For Your Podcast

• http://www.podsafeaudio.com/

• http://www.beatsuite.com/

• http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/

• http://www.magnatune.com/info/podcast

• http://www.uniquetracks.com/

• http://www.productiontrax.com/

• http://commons.wikimedia.org/

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Adding ambient music as a new track

1. Obtain ambient music or other audio you wish to add to your podcast and save it to your desktop.

2. In Audacity, open the main podcast audio file.

3. Under Project, choose Import Audio.

4. Locate the ambient music you obtained in step 1.

5. Add silence (Generate > Silence), or other effects to the new track as needed.

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Editing Using Audacity

• In Audacity, the sound is represented by a wave form. This wave form clearly indicates all words and pauses in the audio content. This representation is used to edit the sound file.

• Before editing, save your master file (it will be a .aup format).• There is a time line above the wave form that indicates the length of the recording, and

the cursor provides a mark on the wave form that indicates a point of time in the time line. Using the cursor, highlight any section of the wave form. You can cut, copy, or use one of the Effects to change the way the section sounds.

• You can be more precise in selecting sections (words) if you stretch the wave form by selecting View > Zoom in. The words then appear very distinct and allow you to make very fine edits.

• It's important when making fine cuts that you keep the rhythm of the conversation. Don't delete the word (um or ah) and not allow a natural pause (a breath or silence) between the words. This will otherwise sound very unnatural. In cutting ums and ahs, use your discretion. If it is preventing the flow of the information, cut them out.

• When selecting a word or phrase or sentence you wish to cut, highlight it, and then play it before making the cut, just to ensure your selection is right. If you made a mistake, you can undo (Edit > Undo).

• For detailed instructions, including screenshots, see the Audacity Reference book (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/onlinehelp-1.2/reference.html).

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Adding New Dialog (to fix problems)

• If you need to re-record a portion of your podcast, simply press the Record button and begin speaking. A new audio track will be created. Be sure to add silence or other needed effects to the original section you want to replace and the newly created audio track (to lead in).

• Keep in mind that when you speak, you have different inflections in your voice, and different tones, depending on the topic and the previous words. For this reason, if you need to re-record something, try to re-record the entire sentence, not just the errant word.

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Publishing Your Podcast

• Once you have finished creating and editing the audio or video files that will become your podcast, you need to publish them to the Internet.

• There are several ways you can accomplish this:– Publish to a web server (Tripod, Geocities, a computer you

have set up to act as a web server, your personal or company web site’s web server, etc.)

– Publish to one of the Podcasting Services (such as PodBean.com, MyPodcast.com, or PodcastPeople.com)

– Publish to the Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org)– Publish to a blog (http://www.blogger.com,

http://www.typepad.com, http://www.wordpress.com, etc.)

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Advertising Your Podcast Using RSS

• What is RSS (Really Simple Syndication)?“RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, which is called a "feed," "web feed," or "channel," contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually.” (wikipedia.org)

• An excellent 2-minute video explaining RSS in plain English is at:

http://www.commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

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RSS Feeds, continued

• RSS feeds are XML files.

For a detailed explanation of what iTunes requires for the RSS feed, go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html

• The Apple/iTunes FAQ on Podcasting: http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcastingfaq.html

• Here is a sample RSS feed:

<?xml version="1.0"?><rss version="2.0"><channel> <title>Title of Feed Goes Here</title> <description>Description of Feed Goes Here</description> <link>Link to the Feed Goes Here</link>

<item> <title>Title of Podcast Goes Here</title> <description>Description of Podcast</description> <link>Link to Podcast</link>

<guid>Link to Podcast</guid> <enclosure url="Link to Podcast" type="audio/mpeg" length="file size in bytes" />

</item>

</channel></rss>

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Submitting RSS Feeds

• Doing it yourself:Yahoo MSN Search Fyber Search Bulk Feeds Truth Laid Bear

Moreover Blog Street Memigo Feeds Farm Blogarama

News Knowledge Blog Wise News Trove Every Feed Blog SE 

Syndic8 Boing Boing RSS Clipping Fastbuzz Eatonweb

Newsmob 2RSS Feedster Search4RSS Anse

Sourceforge Blog Digger Day Pop Feed-Directory Sarthak Blog

Bloggernity Bloogz Technorati News Is Free Rocket Info

Genecast Easy RSS Postami Topix Headline Spot

Blogdex Feed Directory Pub Sub Blog Tree Findory

Blog Catalog Step Newz WeBlogALot News Goblin News Feeds

Feedplex Popdex  Newzfire Read A Blog Blog Pulse 

Press Radar Rub Hub Feed 24 FeedsForAll  Blog Map 

Weblogs Feed Burner Blo.gs BlogRolling Technorati

NewsGator Pingomatic RSS Network Plazoo Feedzie

Feed Cat Feed Miner Ice Rocket Sphere Moz Dex

Uncle Feed Pluck RSS Locator News Net Plus Focus Look

Blog Bunch Blogtastic Explore Blogs Feed Pub Feeds2Read

RSS Directory House Of Blogs RSS Mad Blog Resource Feed Burner

All Feeds Content Desk Feed See Blog Watch 4GuysFromRolla

Gnoos Octora RSSMicro Feedooyoo Golden Feed

RSS-Feeds-Sub Readafeed Feedage Rorseek RSS Junky

Feed Fury News on Feeds iTunes     

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Submitting RSS Feeds, continued

• Using a service– http://itunes.apple.com/– http://www.submitrssfeed.com/– http://www.feedsubmitter.com/– http://www.dummysoftware.com/rsssubmit.html– http://allrss.com/rsssubmission.html

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Creating a Transcript

• Be sure to create a transcript of your podcast. • Having a transcript is important for accessibility reasons, but

also since some people might not have the time to listen to the entire podcast, they might prefer to skim through the transcript to see what your podcast contains.

• Further, if you add a transcript to your podcast, you can make searching through your podcast much easier by search engines as well as human beings (i.e., at timestamp 3 minutes, 22 seconds the speaker begins talking about the influence of computers on society).

• While it is time-consuming to do it yourself, here are some places you can go to have transcripts created for you:

– http://castingwords.com/– http://www.docsoft.com/– http://www.automaticsync.com/

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Video Podcasts

Creating a video podcast and creating an audio podcast involves the same process.

1. Research your topic, and plan what will be filmed

2. Film the video

3. Upload the video to a server

4. Create an RSS feed to advertise the podcast

5. Upload the RSS feed to a server

6. Notify search engines about the RSS feed

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Filming Resources

Hardware– Digital Camera Product Reviews: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/

– Consumer Reports• Digital Cameras:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/digital-cameras-photos/• Camcorders:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/camcorders/reports/

Software– Handbrake (to convert DVDs to podcast-acceptable format):

http://handbrake.m0k.org/

– Vixy (to convert flash movies to podcast-acceptable format):http://vixy.net/

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Film Editing Software

• Windows Movie Maker:– http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/

– Getting Started Manual:http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/getstarted/

• iMovie:– http://www.apple.com/imovie/

– Getting Started Manual:http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iMovieHD_Getting_Started.pdf

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RSS Feed for Video Podcasts

• After you have shot, edited, and uploaded the video, you need to add the RSS feed to make it a podcast.

• The format is exactly the same as for an audio podcast, except that the <enclosure> tag will point to a video instead of an audio file.

.MOV <enclosure url="http://username.tripod.com/coolmovie.mov" length="15421821" type="video/quicktime" />

.WMV<enclosure url="http://username.tripod.com/coolmovie.wmv" length="15421821" type="video/wmv" />

.MP4<enclosure url="http://username.tripod.com/coolmovie.mp4" length="15421821" type="video/mp4" />

For a PDF file in your Podcast feed, the <enclosure> would look like this:<enclosure url="http://username.tripod.com/HowToPodcast.pdf" length="449914" type="application/pdf" />